Astraphobe
by Bloodlustful
Summary: Post-movie. While the Doppler family really is living a very happy life, a longtime secret problem of Amelia's(she's scared of lightning), which she has been keeping to herself and making sure no one knows about, shows up and forces her to reveal it to her family, and Delbert decides that they should try and make Amelia overcome her fear. Will it end in success?


Check it out, guys!

I had no idea my busy schedule would allow me this many breaks(at least so far, anyway, I don't know if there are more to come in the future or not, at least not yet, anyhow).

Okay, for this latest "Treasure Planet" fanfic of mine, which, like all of which ones I write, is centered around Captain Amelia, given that she's by far my favorite character in the film, we read about how Captain Amelia is, as the title gives away, astraphobic(just for anyone who needs to know what that means, astraphobia is the fear of lightning).

Anyway, she's had this fear for a long time(read: since she was little)but it's never been seen or known by anyone but her for years, which is why, when it shows up again after so long, it's not only very jarring for her, but it's shocking and confusing for her family, as well.

When she can no longer try to deny it, she bravely reveals her fear and how she got it, and this prompts Delbert to try and, with the help of their children, get her to overcome her phobia.

Is the plan going to work?

Let's find out.

THINGS TO NOTE:

This story takes place six years after the events of "Treasure Planet".

It was also partially inspired by a Balto fanfic on this very site titled "Aquaphobia", written by drewdog302.

I own none of the characters. They all belong to "Treasure Planet" and therefore Disney.

Astraphobe

I tell you, life was great at the Doppler residence.

A wonderful home where the family were happy together in while Delbert and Amelia's daughters and son were growing up, and was more than able to harmonize itself and thus coexist with the couple's respective jobs in terms of lifestyles, it was also always open to visits from such close friends as Jim and Sarah Hawkins(and all others, but these are just two examples I'm giving since they're among the biggest, most noticeable ones for obvious reasons).

One night, however, things did not stay favorable for Amelia for too long, as the feline captain was to be treated to something that she had not experienced since she was six years old, and was also what one would consider in the "rear its ugly head" category.

Or bite her in the ass, or come back with a vengeance, or however the hell you might or might not want to fucking put it.

See, just as her husband had fallen asleep, with Amelia smiling warmly at him while having her arms around him lovingly and vice versa(he'd been doing this just before he fell asleep, of course), the Doppler matriarch was just about to fall into her own deep, long, happy catnap when, on the night in question, which was previously just rainy and, by now, dark and rainy and thus nothing that she had never seen plenty of times before now, lightning came down in repeated streaks and indeed struck quite a few times in numerous spots around their house.

Although none if it hit the actual house or destroyed anything within its range outside or anything like that, it all caused Amelia to yowl loud in terror and fling herself around Delbert hard and tight while shaking and trembling so much that you would think she had an internal earthquake of considerable magnitude.

Needless to say, this quickly woke up her husband, and he was saying: "Honey, what the hell…HUH?!"

He was startled when he saw his wife gripping him to the point where it almost felt like he was in a vise, once he felt what he did following how he saw both what she was doing and the terrified beyond words look on her face, which was accompanied by frightened tears coming out of her beautiful green eyes.

"Honey, what's wrong?" asked Delbert as he looked down into her scared green eyes with his confused own brown ones, and he then heard all four of their children coming into their bedroom, with Tillie saying: "Daddy? Mommy? Is there a problem?"

Sonny then said: "Some noise woke us up, daddy. It sounded like Mommy screaming."

"From the looks of things, it was." Delbert said as he looked down at his wife, who was scared out of her skull to such an extent that she couldn't speak.

"Mommy's scared?" asked a confused Jib, whose siblings were just as confused. "That isn't like her, daddy."

"No, it isn't." Delbert said. "Something is definitely wrong here."

"Mommy? Can you hear us?" asked Matey. "It's me, Matey, and Jib, Sonny and Tillie are here, too."

"You aren't being you right now, Mommy." said Tillie. "Daddy was right. There is some kind of problem here."

"Since you woke everyone up, we're thinking it that might be a good idea to tell you what's gotten you so frightened, and allow us to help you with it." pointed out Jib.

"T-t-t-tell you what…what scared me?" Amelia replied, finally regaining her ability to speak. "First…first of all, you think I'm frightened or some…some other such claptrap? Rubbish. And second…second of all…w-w-whatever gave…a-a-a-any of you that ridiculous idea? Such a preposterous impression as that?"

"Well, for starters, you're clinging to daddy really hard and tightly." Matey replied. "Gripping him as though he's a mast on your boat during a stormy day and/or night, in fact."

"Not to mention that you're shaking so much that we can see it from here." added Sonny.

"Then there's that petrified look on your face…we actually think we should join daddy in comforting you, really." Tillie added.

"And let's not forget that part of what makes us believe that is how you're crying as we speak, plus I have a feeling that your nightgown is as wet as it looks, and most likely feels in daddy's case, because you're sweating a lot." Jib informed her.

Indeed, the children were right on all counts, and a great deal of sweat had been pouring out of Amelia all over her fur and nightgown alike, as further evidenced by how Delbert said: "Our children are quite correct, and they are quick learners, as well, as we both very well know and are most proud of them for. My hands are feeling very wet, indeed, and this is undoubtedly because you're sweating quite a bit along with how you are crying. You are frightened. And you know it as well as we do. Please tell us what's scaring you so much."

"A-a-a-absolutely not." Amelia said, no longer able to deny how afraid she was. "You'll all just burst out laughing and ridicule me to no end."

"No, we won't. We're your family." Delbert told her. "Look, everyone hates admitting fears, it's true. But you can't go on letting whatever is your obvious phobia be part of your life. We'll help you. We promise not to laugh. Isn't that right, kids?"

"Yes, it is." they all said in unison.

"See?" Delbert said. "Be as strong and brave as you always are. Tell us what this is all about."

Amelia sighed, nodded and said: "I…I…I'm terrified…of l…l…l…lightning. There. I said it. Are you all happy?"

She tensed up and closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the giant barrage of laughter she thought she was about to hear to unleash itself, but to her surprise, said massive laughter surge did not show itself.

Not even so much as a giggle out of anyone, in fact.

She opened her eyes slowly, and then saw compassionate, pitying looks on her husband's face and those of her children, and then Delbert said: "Oh, Amelia…we had no idea…tell us everything."

"And we'll do everything in our power to help you with this, mommy. We assure you." Jib said while her siblings nodded.

Amelia sighed again and explained: "When I was six years old, my parents and I were about to get back in the house that I lived in back then along with my sister and two brothers after a wonderful nighttime walk as a family together. Suddenly, however, it started to rain very hard, indeed, and thunder began occurring, as well. Though everyone else managed to quickly get inside, it happened so fast that they were unaware I hadn't gotten a chance to get in, since I was the youngest and smallest member of the family. In fact, just after the door shut, it startled me and caused me to fall down. Lightning then made itself known, and very clearly, all around me. I was terrified. I felt that if I didn't stay exactly where I was, if I did anything other than sit where I had landed after I'd fallen, the lightning would come down and strike me to death to the point where nothing but charred bones were left."

"Oh, my God. That's terrible." gaped Tillie, and then Amelia nodded and went on: "And worse yet, by the time that anyone noticed I wasn't indoors, it had been at least three minutes. In spite of the fact that my father opened it and saw me paralyzed with fright, as well as soaked to the bone and plenty filthy from the mud I'd been sitting in, and so promptly picked me up and ran back into the house, locking the door tight after closing it swiftly, I was a horrendous wreck and unable to move or speak. Though I was given a nice, hot bath and plenty of comfort by my mother and siblings and, when he'd cleaned himself off and saw me having been cleaned, my father, it was still at least fifteen minutes until I could do so much as utter one syllable."

"Wow. It must have been such a living nightmare for you." Jib gasped, and then Amelia nodded and said: "You really do have no idea just how much of one. And as if that were not enough, just after I went up to bed to get some sleep and put that massive ordeal behind me, it was no later than just after my mother tucked me in while my father did so with what ones of my siblings the former hadn't already gotten that done with that more lightning struck. A greater amount than before, in fact. I screamed in fright, and my mother quickly got onto her knees so that she could take a hold of me and then hold me tight to her chest. Words can't describe how much I was shaking, except for that it was to the point where even my mother's tight hold was unable to keep me still."

"DAMN." Delbert said, and then he put in: "But surely you were lucky enough to be put back under the covers with your head on the pillow and fall asleep after that."

"No, I wasn't." Amelia said sadly, closing her eyes and shaking her head while informing her husband of this fact.

Everyone was shocked(no pun intended)as she then spoke more: "Because just after my mother did the first two things, rubbed my forehead and then kissed it in order to calm me down and make my feelings of fright cease, lightning which was, while not in as great an amount as the previous two occurrences of it, still plenty louder and more conspicuous showed up and I was so, so scared that I quickly pulled the covers over my head and begged my mother to stay with me, which she did until she realized I had fallen asleep, so she put me in the position I had been before gently and walked out of my room."

Everybody nodded with sympathetic sadness in their eyes, and Amelia kept up with her story.

"Afterwards, my father, who asked my mother why she had been gone for longer than usual once the latter came into their bedroom and got into their bed alongside him, was, and this is NOT a pun, very shocked when he found out what had happened to me once my mother explained everything. Both made sure to keep me as confident and secure, and did all that they could to make sure I felt safe and comfortable, as possible for the next few days, as did all of my siblings, and following those few days, I felt much better. That is, with the exception that I now had astraphobia, which is the scientific term for the fear of lightning."

Amelia had finished her story, and her entire family came over and gave her a big hug, with Delbert, true to highly intelligent(his clumsiness and accident proneness notwithstanding)form, suddenly getting an idea.

"Darling?" he asked his wife, and then she said: "Yes, dear?"

He told her: "I have the ideal idea. Ha! Look what I just said. Anyway, how about we try and solve this problem of yours by having you face it? Come on down, let's all go to the French door downstairs and look out of it from inside while we all stay alongside you so you know you aren't alone and don't have to be afraid? There is a very good chance that this will help you overcome your fear and thus make it so that lightning doesn't scare you anymore."

"G-g-g-g-go downstairs…and l-l-l-l-look at…at l-l-l-l-l-l-lightning even m-m-m-m-m-more clearly than up…up here? L-l-l-l-l-l-listen to it at…at…at the same…s-s-s-s-s-s-s-same t-t-t-time?" Amelia asked, going very white and trembling a lot. "N-n-n-n-n-n…no…there must be…be…be…some…some other…other way…p-p-p-p-p-p-please…not that…anything but that…"

"I'm afraid that I can't think of any better way, no pun intended." Delbert said. "Can any of you children think of a better method for helping your mother here?"

All four of their children briefly paused and went silent, trying to think of something and also looking at one another to see if any of them had thought of anything that was the least bit of a better way to help their mother, but after a few moments or so, they all said in unison: "Nope."

Amelia hung her head, realizing that she now had no choice but to go along with their plan unless she wanted to continue to be scared of lightning, so she put it back up and nodded in defeat, thus making it so that Delbert said: "Okay, then. Let's get moving, everyone."

All six of them went downstairs and, once they'd entered the room with the French doors as part of it, they all looked out of said doors, knowing that more lightning was going to strike any minute now.

"P-p-p-p-lease d-d-d-d-d-don't l-l-l-l-l-l-let g-g-g-g-g-g-go of…of me…" Amelia said, on the verge of tears while hear heart pounded fast and a lot of sweat began forming all over her despite how she was still perfectly able to feel the grip that her family maintained on her with their combined efforts.

As if on cue, lightning streak after lightning streak presented itself, each flash louder, bigger and stronger than the last, and while Amelia was all but reduced to a quivering mass of furry jelly, her family continued to keep their grip on her.

Furthermore, it wasn't long before she, though not any of the others, saw the lightning turn itself into a version of The Devil made of electricity, and said lightning Satan told her: " **FRAIDY CAT! YOU FUCKING THOUGHT THAT IT WAS THE LEAST BIT FUCKING POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO EVEN STAND A FUCKING CHANCE IN HELL AGAINST ME?! THERE IS NO WAY IN THAT VERY SAME HELL THAT YOU WILL EVER BE ABLE TO FUCKING OVERCOME ME AT ALL, BITCH! THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SKIN A CAT, AND ONE SUCH ALTERNATIVE CONSISTS OF MAKING ONE JUMP OUT OF ITS SKIN! YOU WILL DO JUST THAT NOW! OR, BETTER YET, TAKE A PERMANENT CATNAP THANKS TO A HEART ATTACK I WILL GIVE YOU! THE CAT FLAP TO HELL AWAITS YOUR ASS, BITCH! ENTER AND BE BLASTED BY ETERNAL LIGHTNING WHICH WILL BURN YOU WITH JUST AS ETERNAL HELLFIRE THAT IT WILL IGNITE! THERE IS NO TURNING BACK NOW! YOU WILL NEVER CONQUER YOUR FEAR! YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME!** "

" **WRONG!** " Amelia exploded furiously, suddenly angry instead of afraid. " **I'VE BEEN TERRIFIED OF YOU FOR TOO LONG, AND TAKING ON THE FORM OF THE DEVIL AND TRYING TO BREAK ME WITH EMPTY THREATS WILL NOT WORK AT ALL! YOU DON'T SCARE ME ANYMORE! I AM NOW RIGHT AS THE RAIN THAT ACCOMPANIES YOU AND THEN SOME! YOU NEED ME TO BE AFRAID OF YOU IN ORDER TO EXIST, LIGHTNING LUCIFER! AND I NO LONGER FEAR YOU OR ANY OTHER KIND OF LIGHTNING! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT AND GO TO HELL! NOW!** "

" **NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!** " screamed the lightning Satan as Amelia's fear having vanished forever caused him to do much the same, and in milliseconds he was gone forever, and, coincidentally yet fittingly enough, the rain suddenly let up and there was no longer any lightning or even thunder at all.

After a long silence and looking out at the now rain and thunder devoid nighttime outdoors, Delbert broke it by asking: "Love? How do you feel now?"

It was answered when her children suddenly felt her move in a way that caused them to let go of her along with Delbert, and this was specifically how she flung herself around her husband after picking up her son and all three of her daughters so that she could hug him and them all at the same time.

"Thank you, all five of you." she said, smiling as she embraced them happily. "Thank you for making it so I'm no longer scared of lightning. My fear's gone forevermore, all because of your love and your help. I can't thank any of you enough."

"Hey, what can we say, mommy?" asked Matey, and Tillie then added: "You'd do the same for any one or more of all of us."

"Of course I would. But it being the other way around here has resulted just as much as we would want the usual that was just mentioned to result in. Oh, how I thought I couldn't love you all any more than I already did, and I'm proven wrong, which for once I'm happy about." Amelia told them.

"Hey, anything for one as wonderful as yourself, my sweet." Delbert told her warmly with a smile. "Although, it's still plenty dark out, so I do believe everyone here, yourself included, would like to get back to bed, am I right?"

"Indeed, sweetheart." Amelia replied, nodding.

And so they all did, feeling much better now(especially Amelia, of course)and, once they woke up come the next morning following when they were all asleep again, it was a beautiful morning in more ways than one, since it wasn't just sunny and lovely outside, but Amelia was now having her first morning of not fearing lightning since she was a child, and it felt wonderful to the felid to finally be free from it after all these years.

After saying goodbye to their children as they were on their way to school, Amelia and Delbert held hands flatly atop the table everyone had been eating breakfast at and the former said to her husband: "Dear, I always knew you were smart, but what you thought up last night was by far your best idea ever. At least as far as things in our personal circle are concerned, anyway. This is the first morning in so, so long that I haven't had to be secretly, internally tense about lightning showing itself, and it's all thanks to you, as well as the children, but you most of all, given it was your idea. And it is my thanks to you and them alike I give, but you above them. I could not have asked for a better husband."

"Just like I could not have asked for a better wife." Delbert replied as they then embraced and kissed.

A better future than before lay ahead for the Doppler family, even if it was a good life they were living before.

THE END

Was this a good story?

Wasn't it just darling to see Amelia's family comfort her and then wonderful of them to help her overcome her fear?

I sure do hope so.

Ratings and reviews, please!


End file.
